Big Time Timmy Jim

First off, I would like to congratulate my son on being only 1 of 2 boys in the 7th grade to made the varsity squad of his middle school baseball team. It is quite an accomplishment considering the talent of the other guys on the team. Secondly, since our trip to San Francisco and doing more pitching for his school team he has been studying pitchers. While he is a fan of Nolan Ryan, Felix Hernandez, and Jonathan Papelbon, he has found his new favorite. He wants to pitch like a local kid, The Freak.

Tim Lincecum

While I haven't gone through my cards yet to see what I have of Tim for him, I will try to make a list soon of cards needed to make him a happy fan.

Past, present, and the future

It is amazing to think where we have been, where we are, and where we are headed. In 10 years so many things have changed. I think it was great that many schools decided to do a tribute of some kind to the innocent victims of ten years ago. The University of Washington did a one time helmet change for yesterday.

The NFL finally decided to relent and let players wear special gear to honor those lost today, but originally was going to fine players for wearing unauthorized equipment.

I wonder we go from here. Will we ever know the full and true facts of what happened that day. I am by no weans a conspiracy theorist, but I have seen and read many things on it, and it makes me question the accurateness of all the reports we here.  This might be the most bizarre case of all- READ ME. I don't know what to make of it. Let's not forget as the NFL starts up this weekend, the man who walked away from the sport, and did what he felt was right.

Thanks to my boys in blue in Ann Arbor for taking ten years off my life by giving me a heart attack in the 4th quarter of this historic game last night.

Thank you to all that have served this country, all that are out there today defending us, and to all that lost thier live ten years ago today for no reason and were taken away from us.

Absolute tragedy

If you haven't heard the news, it is absolutely devastating. Yesterday in Russia a Yak-42 was just taking off from the town of Yaroslavl bound for Belarus. The aircraft was carring members of the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv hockey team of the KHL heading for the opening games of the season. The plane unfortunately crashed after take off. In the crash 43 people lost their lives and only two persons escaped with their lives. Among the players and coaches that were lost were 10 former players that saw time in the NHL. Games have been postponed across the league this weekend. My heart breaks for each and every one of the 43 people's families.

What a ride...

We all know that September is the time for call ups of guys that have a future in the bigs. It also is a time to give what might be the one opportunity to show up in the majors and possibly never been heard from again. I'm not sure where this guy will fit in, but he does have a pretty amazing story.

This spring, when Steve Delabar was coaching high school baseball and working as a substitute teacher in Elizabethtown, Ky., playing Major League ball was the furthest thing from his mind. At 28, he'd never pitched above Class A ball in the Padres' organization before he wound up throwing in an Independent League and fracturing a bone in his elbow that by all rights should have ended a career that really wasn't going anywhere at the time.

So Delabar had surgery on his elbow, with doctors inserting a plate and nine screws, then fed his competitive fever by playing slow-pitch softball while taking classes at the University of Louisville and working as a part-time teacher. Mariner manager Eric Wedge said Steve Delabar wouldn't have a set role in the Mariners' bullpen, but he's eager to see him pitch. Now here was Delabar on Tuesday, putting on a Mariners uniform after being promoted to the Major Leagues following a whirlwind season in which he climbed from Class A for a September call-up. Delabar missed all of last year after doctors wired his elbow back together following two seasons of Independent League action with the Brockton Rox in the Canadian-American Association.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder was coaching at John Hardin High School when he got a tryout with a scout, who recommended the Mariners give him a look. Next thing he knew, Delabar was working his way up through the Minor League system, first at Class A High Desert, then Double-A Jackson and finally Triple-A Tacoma a few weeks ago. "There was a point when I first broke with the High A team, and I'd given up a couple runs in a game and I was the oldest player in the league, and I was thinking, 'What am I really doing here? Am I wasting my time?'" he said. "Then I had a few good outings in a row and I got promoted. I said, I can go with this. I'd never played in Double-A before."

Delabar opened eyes at each level, winding up with a combined 2.25 ERA and concluding things with a 0.69 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 13 innings with the Rainiers. Now he finds himself in the Majors with a Mariners squad that has 13 other rookies on the current 31-man roster.

What's worked this year? "Everything," Delabar said. "Everything has been in place. My velocity is good, and that helped a lot. But just being in the right place at the right time and having the right people see you is a huge thing. Timing is everything." Delabar got word after Monday's Triple-A finale in Tacoma that he was going to the big leagues. The news stunned him so much he could barely speak when he phoned his family.
"I called my wife and couldn't even talk," Delabar said. "I called my dad and I couldn't even put a sentence together. I was just torn up. It's a pretty good feeling." "All the reports are that he has a great arm, his secondary stuff is very good and he's been very consistent," Wedge said. "He's the one who pushed himself up here by the way he pitched down there."

All quotes used from story that appeared on seattlemariners.com

Joining the club

That's right! It looks like I'm joining the club of older people. That is not meant as an insult to anyone. My wife and my son tease about turning 40. Now all my friends can laugh at me too. I thankfully don't feel old today. I'm looking forward to continuing the ride. The first 40 have been so far, let's see where this thing takes me...

Agony and Ecstasy

I must admit the ecstasy of seeing a new park was great. The fans around us couldn't have been nicer. The public transportation to and from AT&T Park was pretty much a breeze too. I really did enjoy the look and the feel of the park. A bit breezy at times, but I was prepared and wasn't cold.

The agony was to find out on Saturday that the kid we saw in Seattle, and is a two time Cy Young winner was pitching, but wasn't sharp. Lincecum did what he could to keep his team in it, but his offense didn't help. While I would have liked to see the Giants win and continue to gain ground on the D-Backs, they couldn't pull it out and remain 6 games back in the division.

Since we get home late tonight and I have to work tomorrow, I will try to get up some pictures of the sights from the ballpark in a few days.
Thanks again to the Giants and their fans for a great experience!!

Leavin' on a jet plane

That's right, today's the day. Tonight on getting myself on one of these bad boys:

My family and I are headed to San Francisco for three days for my 40th birthday. While my birthday isn't until next Tuesday, this was the only time we could go. While we are in the Bay Area, my main goal is to make it here:

I have my tickets and am really looking forward to see this beautiful view of this nice park on Saturday night:

It looks and seems like it is a great venue and has great sights, but it still isn't my beloved Safeco Field.  If anyone has suggestions or knows of thing I need to see or do at AT&T, let me know I'll be keeping up to date on he blog on my phone. I hope to see a Giants win, and I hope the Beard will back in time to make an appearance.

See all my fellow bloggers back on Monday.

Is it over?

This has been another down year for the Mariners. It has also been a down year for their right fielder. He has not made the plays in the field that he would normally make. He is not as consistent at the plate like he normally would be. This year he is at his lowest average since coming to the states hitting .275 this year. I still wonder if he is injured and not saying anything.

I also wonder with only 28 games remaining in the Mariners schedule, and I'm assuming young players to be called up, can he do it? For his first ten consecutive seasons Ichiro has been able to amass more than 200 hits for all 10 years. Right now he only has 154 hits this season. His strikeout totals are up, and he can't beat out the infield hit like he used to. What do you think:
Is it possible to get 46 hits in the next 28 games to reach 200 for the season??

Is this heaven??

There is always a pursuit and wanting for the Holy Grail. Every person is striving to find it.

It's Mine!! All Mine!!
 Do you have those cards that you hope to someday own so they can be the cornerstone of your collection?? I know that those cards for me were the three 1983 Tony Gwynn rookie cards. After spending a very warm Saturday afternoon at the Boeing Classic golf tournament with my son, we decided to head to my favorite card store that I don't get to very often. After finding a few Mariners I needed, and some Angels cards for the other side project, I perused the the cases of unobtainable cards. They shined at me like a beacon of light!! The first card I see is the mother lode I have longed for:

What would you pay for this card??The sticker said book value: $25, our price $10!! Sign me up, I own the first white whale.

Also in the great case was the second of his rookies. This 1983 Donruss beauty had a  price tag stating it was $6.95. A little high, but I could live with that to get the second of three rookies.

The completion of the trifecta was there in the case too. 1983 Fleer #360 was also on the glass shelf with a low, low price of $4.95. Hot diggity dog, I can have all three rookies for only $22?? Sold, sold, and sold!!
I thought I would never own any of his rookies, let alone all three at the same time. I guess it is time to start to focus on the player collections of Pops, and the Murph now.

Pip Pip Cheerio!

Not too long ago a package was in my mailbox from a guy that is a long ways away from me. How far you ask? I don't know if this is anywhere close to him:

All joking aside, John of Pursuit of 80's(ness), Pursuit of Red Sox, and Pursuit of Jacoby fame sent me some cards to start my journey into collecting my first set I pursued. Here is a showing of the 65 cards of 1980 goodness I received thanks to the Royal Mail of the UK.

Alot of the cards are common players that no one would recognize, unless you are older like me, or if they were on your favorite team. Some of the most recognizable names in the bunch were Alan Trammell, Don Baylor, Ray Fosse, Bert Blyleven, Mickey Lolich, Charlie Hough, and Carl Yastrzemski. If you include the two 1980's I already owned, I now own 67 of 726 of these beauties.

It always seems that every trade I make the other person always have a bunch of Mariners cards laying around. I know that I'm one of the few people crazy enough to give this team my heart and soul. The nice part about being a fan of a less than popular team is most everyone has extra cards of my team. John was nice enough to include some Mariners of old and new. I'm excited to own a 2011 Bowman Chavez card. This kid is a couple years away, but is supposed to be a big deal when he makes it up the big leagues.

Thanks again to my favorite new trader across the pond, and also the new favorite of my son. Andrew is into all things that have to do with the UK. He was excited to see a package from overseas. Your cards are on their way to you John.

A perfect? 10

OK, so that was a cheap ploy to get you to read this entry but obviously it worked. I'm not sure this is a number you want your baseball team to have. So far before we have even got to the September call-ups, the Seattle Mariners have already had 10 players make their MLB debut this season. Here's how the debuts have gone so far this year.

Josh Lueke: April 3rd

Tom Wilhelmsen: April 3rd

Michael Pineda: April 5th

Carlos Peguero: April 19th

Mike Wilson: May 10th

Dustin Ackley: June 17th

Blake Beavan: July 3rd

Kyle Seager: July 7th

Trayvon Robinson: August 5th

Anthony Vasquez: August 23rd

I expect the Mariners to probably bring in this year's #1 draft pick in September with the recent DFA of reliever Chris Ray. Could this be a foreshadowing come September 1?

Danny Hultzen: September 1??

It will be happy days in my head if the Mariners can ever get good again and stop with the debut carousel.

Let's get serious people

I know that it is common place and it happens at every sporting event. I know people get drunk, and they think they are tough. Are we that much of barbarians that we have to show we think our team is better than your team?? Is it really necessary to fight in front of kids because "you're not wearing my teams jersey?" I also know that part of this was probably gang related. I'm not trying to cast aspersions on anyone, but I've been to NFL games at both teams stadiums.

This picture shows one of the melees inside the stadium during a PRESEASON football game. The game doesn't even count for anything people!! The evening would conclude with two separate shooting incidents, with people clinging to life. I still don't understand how idiotic violence can make one team better than the other.

Going back in time

I recently put up that I had decided to try and collect the 1980 Topps set. I decided to show some of the reasons I really like this set. Besides the fact that this was the first set I really started to buy cards for every time I would go into a 7-11 as a kid, I still love the design. This set featured some stars that were at the end of their careers, some that had played for a few years, but weren't super big time yet, and a some up and coming rookies. My favorite part is the colors and the styles of the uniforms.

We all know that some of the unis of the late 70's and early 80's were deemed hideous. I kind of liked most of them. Some of the other things I like about the 1980 set is not only the look of the ribbons for the position and team name, but the use of different colors in team names and player's names. Did you ever notice that there were 4 different colors of player's names? Blue, black, green, and red were used for the player's names.

There were also some great things to look for like, the future stars cards to know who was up and coming. 1980 was way before the age of the Internet.

You got to know a few of the records that were broken from the year before.  

What would Topps be without their notoriety for airbrushing that wasn't all that great??

Topps was kind enough to show who made the All-Star team from the year before. A tradition they would end after 1981's set of cards.

You got to see a picture similar to the ones that would be handed out to fans at stadiums at the end of the year, showing you the entire team and coaching staff just like our pictures of our Little League teams.

You had to know who was the League Leaders in big time categories for the year before for pitchers and hitters.

The backs were a simple design with a color that was easy on the eyes. You got stats, you got a little bit of knowledge about the player, and you would get some great cartoons on the side too to keep it fun.

The other great thing you would get is lots of Checklists. You would use them to keep track of what cards you needed to finish off what you didn't have. You didn't realize that they were part of the set and you would mark them with a ball point pen. Now they are considered damaged cards.

I believe besides the 1980 Mariners team set I put together in the Super Set, I only own 2 cards from this great set. Let me know if you could help an old guy try to recapture some of his youth.
All photos of 1980 Topps were used from The Baseball Card Cyber Museum